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Thu Sep 25, 2003 9:24 pm

My local paint store carries a brand called OMNI. I think it's by PPG.
The paint is incredibly cheap pricewise, but I'm not sure if it's total crap.

The guy in the paint store said:"It smells the same as the good PPG paint, It looks the same and it seems to have the same consistency as the good stuff."

Anyone used it yet? Anyone heard anything about it?

Thanks.

Thu Sep 25, 2003 9:41 pm

I painted a panel with it and a 64 bug and it really cover nice and is easy to work with for a non professional painter looking for decent outcomes. Maybe not the same depth as a 2 stage paint but really worth the money. I am using it on the 57 Panel I am doing as well. I have just not been confident enough to spend the additional dollars and risk making a big mistake.

Thu Sep 25, 2003 11:25 pm

Aloha, the omni is the lower of the ppg paint line,its very cheap and its ok. The down side is that its not a high solid paint and the clear tends to go dull as time go on. If you paint a whole car and plan to colorsand and buff you will have to shoot an extra two to three coats,but don't do it all one time or you'll have solvent poping.You must wait the proper flash time. Still after the buffing is done it will still start to go dull just a little where as the higher cost of ppg paint will not. So the choice is yours. If you do a spot repair the colormatch is not that great.

Fri Sep 26, 2003 12:58 pm

you can get omni in a base clear.... ok.. not best... lower midlevel paint....

Fri Sep 26, 2003 1:45 pm

I have used it recently ( as PPG Delstar has become pretty damn expensive) on some daily driver type paint jobs...

I still prefer to shoot Acrylic Enamel with the Urethane hardner additive...

I have no problems laying down a shine with AE

Omni ( overall) is lesser quality, obviously it IS cheaper....
but it is still a decent alternative for someone on a budget/ not doing a real classic resto/show car type job.

NO it does NOT smell the same as 'Real PPG' and it seems much thinner and does not cover quite as good ( cheaper = less pigments?) but IMO is not the worst " cheap brand " on the market... that would be the Nason whit Maaco uses! :P

( the usual disclamer.... IMO :wink: )

By the way someone recently told me they used UNLEADED GASOLINE to wipe the car down with before shooting their basecoat!

:shock: :roll: :P What do you guys think of THAT?

to me a can of wax and grease remover is NOT THAT EXPENSIVE! :lol:

Fri Sep 26, 2003 3:00 pm

I had to paint the hood on my Honda Yesterday, so I got the OMNI. It sprayed really good and looks great. I'm kinda leery about not adding any catalyst. I kept asking the paint guy about if he was sure I wasn't supposed to get any...

I think I'm going to try it on my 62 ragtop. The bug is on a '66 pan and has been hacked on a little bit, I fixed the hacks, but it's not a 1 owner garaged for 30 years type of car- plus I'm going to sell the Honda and use the bug as a daily driver...(My wife is good with our car trailer

:wink: )

Fri Sep 26, 2003 5:37 pm

You must have gotten the Omni AE? the acrylic enamel? and just had paint and reducer?

That is what I have used...
so.... next time the full spray on the bug be sure to get a pint of the "urethane" hardner additive.

it turns the AE into more durable paint, better gloss/ retention etc.
it basically turns one shot AE into a catalized final product.

Fri Sep 26, 2003 8:05 pm

Yea it was just Acrylic Enamel with reducer. The can didn't even show to use a hardener.

So it's an OMNI urethane hardner additive?

They gave me a paint spec sheet with all the prep products your supposed to use and maybe it will say something about that. I will look into it for sure. I was hoping to do my final prep sanding tomorow and maybe shoot the car on Sunday.

I'll go to the paint store tomorow and check it out.
Thanks for the tip!!!!! :D

Fri Sep 26, 2003 10:00 pm

Just ask the dudes at the paint store about the urethane additive. IMO it's a must for acrylic enamel jobs... ( but of course it can be mixed and sprayed without it)

all other brands of AE I have used over the years also have it ...

the top line PPG (Delstar), Du Pont Centauri, and Sherwin Williams brand I have used all list it as a "urethane high gloss additive"

Mar-Hyde makes it too and says their shit is compatable with any AE paint system.

the Delstar additive is pricey.... The paint store sales guy told me to just use the OMNI ( additive in Delstar) instead as it is cheaper and it did work...

Fri Sep 26, 2003 10:28 pm

Keifernet,
Gasoline has detergent additives which would be a BIG NO-NO for use as a surface prep agent. You are so right about using a commercial de-greaser!
I am NOT a paint guy, but I do know gasoline.

Fri Sep 26, 2003 10:34 pm

Using gas instead of degreaser sounds like a good way to blow yourself up...

Mon Oct 06, 2003 4:54 pm

Valspar, whom also now owns"House of Kolor" paint is the best! Not just because I sold it but now I have a shop and that is all I will use! It covers a ton better that PPG ( I know because I was a PPG rep!) it has 30% more solids and great UV protection....and best of all its around 35% cheaper than PPG. So look for your nearest Valspar dealer and get that! You wont be sorry.

Sun Oct 19, 2003 7:54 pm

I would defenitly use OMNI again. their base colors are just fine if you use a very good primer and sealer...then top the base off with a very good clear. I use strataclear and love it. i just wouldn't trust Omni Clear with a decent project.....Paint is the first thing that people see on your car, might as well make it easy on their eyes......good luck with it

Sun Oct 19, 2003 8:47 pm

cfishe5 wrote: Valspar, whom also now owns"House of Kolor" paint is the best! Not just because I sold it but now I have a shop and that is all I will use! It covers a ton better that PPG ( I know because I was a PPG rep!) it has 30% more solids and great UV protection....and best of all its around 35% cheaper than PPG. So look for your nearest Valspar dealer and get that! You wont be sorry.

I like valspar roo.. my paint of choice..

Sun Oct 19, 2003 10:13 pm

I painted my '62 ragtop with OMNI Urethane Acryllic (colorado red).
I'm happy with the results considering I have'nt painted a car in 6 years and this was only my third one.

I've sprayed PPG acryllic enamel before, and it seemed to always come out smooth. This time on my 3rd and last coat I tried to lay it on heavy so it would "glass" out. I didn't get any runs, but I did get some bumps, not really orange peel, and not a chemical reaction. I guess like a mellow orange peel. It was 80 degrees out, and I used a fast hardener. I think it "flashed" to soon before it was able to spread out smoother.

Wet sanding with 1500 grit and using my buffer with compound help it out. I'll post some pictures when I can.

Thanks for everyones comments on this, it really helped me out.

Kevin

Sun Oct 19, 2003 10:17 pm

good to hear it came out good for you

Fri Oct 24, 2003 9:05 am

I have it more put together now, but here is a pic of the bug I painted.

http://www.fizzbang.com/bug.jpg

How can you place photos in a thread???

Sun Oct 26, 2003 10:00 pm

OMNI sucks A. My DD was painted 4 years ago and it now looks like a 30 year old job. Even a GOOD PPG store will tell you OMNI is good fo 2 to 5 years MAX. It was developed for the resale and quicky repair shops. I have used it and never again.
Cost 130 dollars to paint my DD (materials) and over 1500 dollars to paint my DC (materials, GLOBAL, PPG's import paint)
Only use OMNI if you plan to unload whatever you paint to someone you don't know

Mon Oct 27, 2003 8:34 pm

I agree with splitpile, it sucks, and I'll never use it again. He did get it right, "use it only if you're getting rid of it", and let someone else worry about repainting it. I'd rather use laquer than that stuff !! I talked with my local PPG rep, and he told me that paint is actually good for only about 6 months. I'd rather pay a lot more and do the job once, instead of painting it once a year. It costs a lot of money and time to have to strip the paint off and do a re-paint, so I only want to do it once. I've tried it once (before I talked to the PPG rep) and the paint was peeling and flaking with in 6 months, and I even used their hardener and reducer. I've gotten to the point that I either paint with Deltron or Delstar or I don't paint it.

Tue Oct 28, 2003 11:54 pm

crap!
Where were you guys a few weeks ago???

I'ts going to be my daily, so we'll see what happens.

I'm probably better off spending a few extra bucks for paint I know will last....Maybe in a year or so if the paint gets nasty, I'll get some modivation to change the color. :cry:

Did you guys shoot with Urethane?
Is maybe the Enamel crap and the Urethane more durable???